Karima BrownShow

Ten-year-old Philasande Dladla from KwaZulu-Natal has become the first child on the African continent to undergo a lifesaving operation, receiving a Heartware Valve Assist Device (HVAD).

Cardiac and transplant surgeon practicing at Netcare Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital, Dr Willie Koen, successfully led the surgical team that implanted a ‘mechanical heart’ to enable his damaged heart to continue functioning.

Philasande’s journey has been a most remarkable one and we are delighted that he has recovered so well that he is being discharged from hospital with renewed vigour and a smile on his face. Where Philasande’s future was uncertain before, he has now been given a completely new lease on life.